Australia Post's new 'postage calculator' online today

[johneltin]

I went to calculate my postage today on outgoing parcels. Sometimes I make my own satchels and sometimes it's cheaper to use the pre-paid satchels - depends on the destination. I was able to compare the cost on their 'Calculate Postage' page.It would give me the rate for regular parcel as well as pre-paid satchel. 

However, today the new format came up and there is no way I can compare as ALL parcels must now be calculated by cube. My parcels are irregular, soft heat-sealed plastic bags (usually weighing over a kilo and an average of 3kgs) now there is no way to find the true rate on-line without trying to cube them which will increase the cost.

I phoned customer service and was told to look at the cubing examples on the page - a teddy-bear, a tea-shirt, a phone and a bottle of wine - they all have to be measured now as well as weighed .... are you still with me?;\

I took them to the counter and the clerk had to get out the booklet and look up the rates.One parcel interstate so had to be transferred to a satchel and the other (a 'same state' item) he just weighed and it went in my own bag - a satchel would have cos a few dollars more. He said he's had no directive to cube everything - yet!:O

[putney32]

I took them to the counter and the clerk had to get out the booklet and look up the rates.One parcel interstate so had to be transferred to a satchel and the other (a 'same state' item) he just weighed and it went in my own bag - a satchel would have cos a few dollars more. He said he's had no directive to cube everything - yet!:O

which does not guarantee that it will not be cubed along the way, and you or the receiver could be sent a 'Postage Due' / Deficient Postage reminder, with additional payment due

[arnl7178]

I went to the Calculate Postage page earlier too, and I couldn't find where to input the AP boxes either. There used to be the drop down box to choose Bx3 or Bx5 etc. It's gone. Ugh

[phorum_junkie*]

Some years ago POs were told to cube all parcels over 500g, most ignored the directive and it wasn't helped by the fact that if you chose satchels instead of boxes in the calculator you were unable to input the measurements.

Now AP have obviously sorted this out so now all parcels over 500g will be cubed.

While many people got away without cubing irregular parcels there was always the chance it would be cubed further down the delivery chain and either the buyer or seller would have to pay the difference. If AP asked the buyer for it they invariably asked the seller to reimburse them and if they didn't they gave out a neg.

I usually post using click & send with the ebay satchels but on the rare occasion where I have sent a heavier parcel in my own packaging I have made it as square as I can get it and insisted the PO cube it as that is what I have quoted.

[colic2bullsgirlore]

which does not guarantee that it will not be cubed along the way, and you or the receiver could be sent a 'Postage Due' / Deficient Postage reminder, with additional payment due

Which would of course mean that the original AP employee who neglected to cube the parcel would be at fault and did not provide the service that I paid for.

Why try to blame a customer for AP's procedural failure????

[colic2bullsgirlore]

So for me it is putting blame and responsibility to the causal factor

either inept or poorly trained counter staff are to blame for items wrongly assessed at the counter

...... not the customer.....

no matter what excuse AP will try to spin you individually

[colic2bullsgirlore]

ie.....

the AP counter attendant quoted me a price for freight on an item they professionally assessed whether weighted or cubed........

However if you think that customers should let AP off their quoted price and assume responsibility for theior staffs actions

then

"swallow the spin, assume the position and pay the bill"

[johneltin]

Thanks everyone and here's a response to some of your replies:

The clerk I mentioned is actually the postmaster, or post manager, whichever is appropriate these days.

1. With regard to being charged later - this has never happened in more that thirty years of my mail-order postings - neither to myself or my customers.

2. Calculating the postal charge is not an issue as far as passing on the cost to my clients - I charge a flat rate of $7.50 to all customers (except eBay). My complaint is that I cannot now determine the cost BEFORE I pack the parcel - I am obliged to take all my wrapping gear to the PO on SOME of my parcels. Since the latest hike in 'pre-paid' a kilogram to same state and some interstate was costing less than the pre-paid rate on last week's calculator - can't see that on the new format.

3. Many of my parcels go cheaper than pre-paid satchels but I won't know this until I present them at the counter, and IF all of them will now be subject to cubing then my plastics and heat-seal machine may be obsolete.  

4. I've never used 'click and send' and I doubt it would work in my type of business where I use my own bags and cartons as necessary. 

5. Meanwhile, maybe I'll start selling teddy-bears, phones, tee shirts and bottles of wine as listed as 'examples' - not much use to my grazier clients who rely on me for their workwear 🙂

[dollysisters14]

Is it just me or is anyone else having trouble with this new Australia Post online calculator?  You just cannot compare costs anymore in a table, and have to go looking elsewhere to find out the costs of prepaid satchels etc. Your own satchels even seem to have to be cubic measured?  Is this correct?  Everything starts at 1kg now and you cannot put in any weights in gms anymore?  What should be an easy thing to calculate now seems very involved, and the worrying thing is that you may just get the wrong postage cost and will be out of pocket.  I did write a complaint to Ebay about it a week ago, but have had no response from them, and I also complained to Australia Post.  No response from them either.  Without Ebay - Australia Post would not be as rich as it is.  It is very frustrating.

[johneltin]

Well, here is an example from today's mail:

I sent a customer a wool work jumper - soft item - easily fits in a 3kg satchel but costs less if I make my own bag - $13.15 actually.

To get the comparison I type in it's dimensions (32x20x9) and weight (750 grams). It comes up with two options - a 5 kg satchel for somewhere close to $16.70 or $13.15 in my own bag - no mention of the 3 kg satchel.

I took it to the counter and I ask manager to cube it - he does, and the computer says 'NO' - it will not cube a parcel weighing below 1 kg. He weighs it and I post it for $13.15 - quite a saving on the only other option offered - 5 kg satchel. THERE IS NO MENTION OF THE 3 KG SATCHEL.

This means that Australia Post is now in breach of the fair trading act - giving false information to people who follow the rules according to their on-line calculator. Being charged for 5 kg satchel when the item will easily ( and legally) fit into a 3 kg satchel. (Hope you're still with me!)

I wonder how much they've earned since this mis-information started?  😐